A latent class approach to investigating farmer demand for biofortified staple food crops in developing countries: The case of high-iron pearl millet in Maharashtra, India

This study explores farmer acceptance and valuation of a biofortified staple food crop in a developing country prior to its commercialization. We focus on the hypothetical introduction of a high-iron pearl millet variety in Maharashtra, India, where pearl millet is among the most important staple crops. A choice experiment is used to investigate farmer preferences for and trade-offs among various production and consumption attributes of pearl millet. The key pearl millet attributes studied included days it takes pearl millet to mature, color of the roti (flat bread) the grain produces, the presence of high-iron content (nutritional attribute), and the price of the pearl millet seed. Choice data come from 630 pearl millet-producing households randomly selected from 3 purposefully selected districts of Maharashtra. A latent class model is used to investigate the heterogeneity in farmers' preferences for pearl millet attributes and to profile farmers who are more or less likely to choose high-iron varieties of pearl millet. Our results reveal that there are three distinct segments in the sample, and there is significant heterogeneity in farmer preferences across these segments. High-iron pearl millet is valued the most by larger households that produce mainly for household consumption and currently have lower quality diets. Households that mainly produce for market sales, on the other hand, derive lower benefits from consumption characteristics such as color and nutrition. These results have implications for the design of targeted strategies to maximize adoption and consumption of high-iron pearl millet varieties.Biofortification, Choice experiment, latent class model, preference heterogeneity, Pearl millet,

Pearl Millet (Pennisetum glaucum [L. R. Rr.]) Varietal Loss and its Potential Impact on Smallholder Farmers in Northern Nigeria: A Review

Pearl millet is an alternative source of livelihood for poor farmers who use it to supplement food and income. Pearl millet has high medicinal value and its consumption reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, constipation and anemia. Pearl millets is an excellent source of protein and fiber, and a great source of starch, making it a high-energy food. It is an exceptional food source for babies from six months of age because it has high nutrients and is easily digestible. Pearl millet is the most widely cultivated millet varieties in the world. The cereal crop is grown in arid, infertile, marginal lands in Africa and Asia, and cope with unpredictable climatic conditions. Nigeria is the second largest producer of pearl millet in the world with tremendous amount of pearl millet diversity. However, there is growing recognition that the diversity of pearl millet in northern Nigeria is vastly diminishing thereby affecting the livelihood of smallholder farmers. This paper reviews the erosion of pearl millet, multiple drivers of loss of local varieties of pearl millet, and presents some of the strategies that can be implemented to save the erosion of its diversity in northern Nigeria

Effect of the summer pearl millet-groundnut intercropping system on the growth, productivity and competitive ability of crops under south Odisha conditions

A millet-based intercropping system is common in dryland and rainfed conditions. Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) exhibits wide adaptability to different agroclimatic conditions and seasons, making it suitable for an intercropping system. Groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.) is a leguminous oil-seed crop that can be cultivated as an intercrop in various cereals and millets to enhance productivity and resource efficiency. Based on these facts, the present study was conducted at the Research Farm of Centurion University of Technology and Management during the summer season of 2022 to assess the effect of the summer pearl millet + groundnut intercropping system on the growth, productivity, and competitive ability of crops under the conditions of south Odisha. The experiment consisted of nine treatments. In case of pearl millet, the highest plant height at harvest was achieved in pearl millet (30 cm × 10 cm) + groundnut (1:1) (186 cm), while the maximum plant height of groundnut at harvest was observed in pearl millet (45 cm × 10 cm) + groundnut (1:2) (70cm). Dry matter production at harvest and leaf area index (LAI) at 60 days after sowing (DAS) of pearl millet were highest in pearl millet sole (857 g m-2 and 2.19, respectively). The maximum dry matter production at harvest was found in groundnut sole. The highest yield of individual crops was observed in their pure stands, with 2677 kg ha-1 and 2633 kg ha-1 of pearl millet grain and groundnut pod, respectively. Among mixed stands, pearl millet (30 cm × 10 cm) + groundnut (1:1) and pearl millet (45 cm × 10cm) + groundnut (1:1) showed superior values of different competition functions, such as aggressivity, relative crowding coefficient, monetary advantage, land equivalent ratio, and area time equivalent ratio. The results concluded that pearl millet and groundnut could be intercropped with a 1:1 row proportion with pearl millet spacing of either 30 cm × 10 cm or 45 cm × 10 cm in south Odisha conditions

Impact of inputs costs on farm profitability: an evaluation of pearl millet production in north-western Nigeria

The current study was carried out to estimate cost, returns and the profitability level of pearl millet production in north-western Nigeria. The study made use of primary data collected from a cross section of 430 pearl millet farmers and analysed using descriptive statistics, budgetary technique, profitability ratio, and Ordinary Least Square regression analysis. The study reveals that an average gross margin and net farm income across all the sampled pearl millet farms were $233.89 and$200.89 respectively, while average total cost was $229.35 per cultivation season. The profitability index, rate of return on investment and capital turnover were$ 0.43, 0.77 and $ 1.77, respectively. This is an indication that pearl millet production is profitable in the study area. It is also established that the coefficients of costs of renting land, fertilizer, labour, seed, agrochemicals and price of pearl millet output have significantly impact on gross margin of pearl millet production. Based on the above findings, the study concludes that profit level of the pearl millet can be significantly increased with policies that guarantee better farmer price and lower inputs costs

Quantitative strategy planning matrix in supporting sustainability of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) farming

Pearl millet is not only a potential source of income for farmers but can also support the availability of alternative local food in West Sulawesi. As a potential local food, pearl millet contains good nutrition such us anti-oxidant, bioactive compound and fiber. This research is aim to analyze the internal and external factors, IE matrix and then Quantitative Strategy Planning Matrix (QSPM) in order to figure out the priority strategies of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) farming. This research was conducted in West Sulawesi by investigating pearl millet farmers in the production center. The strategy that could be applied is how to support an aggressive growth-oriented strategy. The priority strategies to be implemented are 1) procurement of farming equipment to increase production and productivity, 2) maximizing land potential through efficient farming input, 3) supporting farmers to keep trying to grow pearl millet in an effort to produce alternative food, 4) the use of environmentally friendly farming equipment and input technologies to support sustainability, 5) training to the pearl millet farmers on processing and diversification of pearl millet into industrial products, 6) building adequate infrastructure to facilitate distribution and marketing, 7) plotting pearl millet as a potential superior local food in West Sulawesi, 8) facilitating to access to capital by activating rural-based microfinance institutions, 9) increasing the capacity of farmers and village stakeholders through institutional strengthening, counseling and training and 10) introducing pearl millet to the market and consumers as a local food that is rich in fiber and high antioxidants

Cereal Domestication and Evolution of Branching: Evidence for Soft Selection in the Tb1 Orthologue of Pearl Millet (Pennisetum glaucum [L.] R. Br.)

BACKGROUND: During the Neolithic revolution, early farmers altered plant development to domesticate crops. Similar traits were often selected independently in different wild species; yet the genetic basis of this parallel phenotypic evolution remains elusive. Plant architecture ranks among these target traits composing the domestication syndrome. We focused on the reduction of branching which occurred in several cereals, an adaptation known to rely on the major gene Teosinte-branched1 (Tb1) in maize. We investigate the role of the Tb1 orthologue (Pgtb1) in the domestication of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum), an African outcrossing cereal. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Gene cloning, expression profiling, QTL mapping and molecular evolution analysis were combined in a comparative approach between pearl millet and maize. Our results in pearl millet support a role for PgTb1 in domestication despite important differences in the genetic basis of branching adaptation in that species compared to maize (e.g. weaker effects of PgTb1). Genetic maps suggest this pattern to be consistent in other cereals with reduced branching (e.g. sorghum, foxtail millet). Moreover, although the adaptive sites underlying domestication were not formerly identified, signatures of selection pointed to putative regulatory regions upstream of both Tb1 orthologues in maize and pearl millet. However, the signature of human selection in the pearl millet Tb1 is much weaker in pearl millet than in maize. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results suggest that some level of parallel evolution involved at least regions directly upstream of Tb1 for the domestication of pearl millet and maize. This was unanticipated given the multigenic basis of domestication traits and the divergence of wild progenitor species for over 30 million years prior to human selection. We also hypothesized that regular introgression of domestic pearl millet phenotypes by genes from the wild gene pool could explain why the selective sweep in pearl millet is softer than in maize

Pearl millet and sorghum improvement in India:

millions fed, food security, Pearl millet, Sorghum,

Canopy temperature, excised leaf water retention, productivity and quality of wheat as affected by various nutrient sources in Pearl millet-wheat cropping system

A field experiment was conducted during the year 2013-14 at Agronomy Research Farm of CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar (India). The experiment consisting of twelve treatments was laid out in randomized block design with three replications. Grain yield of pearl millet (3012 kg/ha) was recorded highest in T6 (50 % RD-NP + 50 % N through FYM). Yield contributing characters were recorded highest in T6 (50 % RD-NP + 50 % N through FYM in pearl millet and 100 % RD-NP in wheat) in wheat crop. In wheat crop, treatment T6 recorded highest growth characters and yield contributing characters. Similarly, highest grain as well as biological yield was recorded in T6. Highest protein content, protein yield, sedimentation value and hectoliter weight was also recorded in T6. Highest grain yield of both pearl millet and wheat (5582 kg/ha) in pearl millet-wheat cropping system was obtained with the application of 50 % RD-NP + 50 % N through FYM in pearl millet and 100 % RD-NP in wheat while lowest yield of pearl millet (976 kg/ha) and wheat (1190 kg/ha) was recorded in T1 (control)

Profits and Efficiency along Pearl Millet Market Chain: A Value Addition Approach

Pearl millet is the most commonly used millet around the world. However, in Kenya, little information exists concerning the distributional implication of pearl millet market structure, market channel efficiency and its determinants. As a result, the characteristics of pearl millet value chain have remained scanty in the literature. This paper characterizes Kenya’s pearl millet value chain focusing on its structure, functions and trade within the production areas (Mbeere district) and the final markets (Nairobi) of Kenya. Data was obtained from 255 market actors (120 producers, 2 rural agents/ brokers, 25 traders, 8 processors and 100 consumers) between August-September 2012 and analysis done using value addition approach and a multiple regression models. Evidence showed that high returns to participation accrued to processors compared to producers and traders despite their limited functions. Transport costs, border taxes and commission charges were major components of marketing cost. Pearl millet market channel efficiency was positively influenced by level of education and whether an actor undertook value addition activities before selling positively influenced. Keywords: Mbeere district, Market channel efficiency, Final markets, pearl mille

Feasibility of Late Transplanted Summer Pearl Millet for Prolonged rabi Season With Integrated Nitrogen Management Under Indian Coastal Region

Experiments were conducted in coastal South Gujarat region of India to evaluate the feasibility of late transplanted summer pearl millet under prolonged rabi season with integrated nitrogen management (INM) during 2014, 2015 and 2016. INM treatments were consisted of four combinations of biocompost and inorganic nitrogen fertilizers. Two planting methods were evaluated, namely drilling and transplanting. Premature heading in transplanted pearl millet was observed up to 8-10% population during all the three experimental years, the possible causes for this are slow nitrogen availability, weather conditions, the thickness of the seedlings, root pruning and seedling age at transplanting. Application of 100% Recommended Dose of Fertilizer (RDF) + 5 t biocompost had significantly increased growth, yield (3862 kg ha-1), benefit-cost ratio (B:C ratio) (3.52) and quality of parameters of pearl millet followed by 75% Recommended Dose of Nitrogen (RDN) + 25% RDN through biocompost. Late transplanted summer pearl millet was little feasible to grow over timely drilled pearl millet as it had reduced pearl millet grain yield by 6.07% and also reduced the net profit by 72.46 US $ ha-1. However, overall, it was feasible to grow late transplanted pearl millet and gave yield up to 3150 kg ha-1 in prolonged rabi season condition for brining summer season well in time